Traces of RPG

RPG stands for Role Playing Games in which a gamer actually plays the main character and develops a storyline based on his own perspective. In RPGs, the gaming experience becomes individual to the player because everything happens as a result of the choices he makes while playing the game. Because the gamer is not merely a spectator but the main character, he controls the dimension where the events occur, each contributing to how the story eventually comes to an end. This is the unique element that sets RPGs apart from other video games.

While other genres have followed their own paths to perfection, RPG's have always been more notable for the fact that they started out devoid of any digital personality as a pen-and-paper tabletop game in 1974. Known as Dungeons and Dragons, the game required 5-10 players and one dungeon master creating a fantasy world where a plot developed and characters pursued a quest. As with any tabletop game, D & D worked around rulebooks, guidelines and character sheets. But in 1980, everything changed as the world saw the first digital imprints of RPG.

Rapid developments in technology gave rise to the first well-known computerized RPG, Akalabeth, which was released for the Apple II. Mediocre graphics and a lack of depth made it barely a hit, although it did provide such great inspiration for budding developers. The first post-Akalabeth commercial RPG to saturate the market was Ultima which did not only spread like wildfire but was majorly influential as well. In 1982, the first console RPG, AD&D: Treasure of Tarmin, was born to the first gaming console released by Mattel, Intellvision. Since then, the gaming industry has been reaching maniacal heights.

By the nineties, RPGs had exploded into a full-blown phenomenon, eventually making the decade the "Golden Age of RPG" with such releases as the Might & Magic, Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star series. The spirit of active role gaming was so alive it did not only inhabit games and gamers but developers themselves who grew more responsive to the demands of their market by adding more depth, more intensity, boundless creativity and a far superior technical character into their games. No longer were RPG's confined to dungeons and dragons as they now evolved into richer gaming systems that fed every gamer's appetite for adventure.

Today, RPGs are way more advanced than how we knew them back then. But the rules have not changed and though the actual events differ with each game, the role-playing element of RPGs always breathes new life to any gamer who transforms into each animated character he plays.

Save money buying games online

Once you have a gaming system, then your attention is focused on acquiring newer games. Having a great collection of games can always boost a sense of pride but it may not always be financially feasible. Obviously you can't do away with the need to buy games online but you can always opt for channels that ensure that you save money on these purchases.

Instead of being hell bent on buying games online as soon as you read about them, spend adequate time reading reviews to know whether this is a game you really want. That way you won't waste your money on something you didn't really want. Don't ever get card away with market reputation of a game. Always emphasize on whether or not you will really be playing it.

Read plenty of reviews provided by gamers and critics to know what you want to buy.

If you decide to buy, don't click on everything that comes your way because when it comes to paying, it's going to be a huge tab. Instead make a list of what you really want and go ahead and buy those.

Instead of buying games at random, try a renting library at first. This allows you to have a real feel of the game. Playing the game will enable you to know if this is what you want and saves money because it prevents you from buying something you're not really interested in.

One great option is to discuss with a school friend or others in your friend circle to know what they're playing. If your best friend is into gaming, you could even go and play the game for real to make a better choice. It's always a good idea to buy games that your friends are playing as you can enjoy these online multiplayer games with them as well rather than be stuck with a new game and have to find absolute strangers who would play with you online.

Since there are so many online shops that are dealing with online games, find the reputed stores. Once you narrow down, thoroughly scan the lesser known shops because they're likely to offer better deals because they're trying to increase their client base to. In your search for discounts don't settle for a dubious store that's going to turn out to be a scam.

There are many sellers online. Those that enjoy a greater rating have many games to offer. If you're looking at buy a slightly older game, they're likely to offer you favorable discounts that will allow you save a fair bit.
There's always the option of trading games. You can trade your older games to get a discount and something new. This is a wise move because in the world of online games, there's games introduced at regular intervals and most players simply move in. as such, barring a few games that you rate as your favorite, it's always a good idea to part with the others and keep updating.

You'll only save money if you make guaranteed purchases. Don't fall for scams and fake offers, so consult with others, and buy games after reading a full description.

How to Clean the Inside of Your Computer, and Why

Firstly, let's go through the steps of cleaning your computer's inside, then we'll discuss the benefits of the exercise.

TOOLS NEEDED: Star and flat screwdrivers, new 2 inch paintbrush, old toothbrush, air blower, soft damp cloth.

1. Remove any CD's, DVD's, stiffies, flash drives, etc from the drives.

2. Switch the power off and unplug the computer from the wall outlet.

3. After making a careful note of where all the plugs and cables are connected, unplug all the rear cables, and then take the computer to a table outside (or where the light is good), and where you can make a lot of dust. Using the air blower, blow the dust off the outside of the computer case, especially the back connections.

4. Take the cover(s) off the computer case. Usually there are two or more screws at the back, and then the covers slide off rearwards, but there are so many different types of cases, you may have to figure out how they come off!

5. With the air blower, start blowing from a distance of about 2 feet and gradually move closer as needed, being careful not to blow the computer components to bits. You want to remove the dust, not sandblast the thing. Pay special attention to any fans, and also to the main CPU. The main CPU should have a large finned heat sink attached to it, which becomes caked with dust.

6. Once you have blown the worst of the dust off, use the air blower and the paint brush to dust off stubborn caked dust, especially on the heat sink of the CPU, on the fan blades, and around the Power Supply Unit, which is the metal enclosed box where the mains plug goes in. Don't forget the fan at the back of the computer. Using the paintbrush you can get to the fan quite well through the inlet vents.

7. If there is any dust that is too caked to get off with the paintbrush, use the old toothbrush to gently brush it off.

8. Once all the dust is gone, use the soft damp (NOT wet!) cloth to wipe down the outside of the computer case and the loose covers.

9. Put the covers back, take the computer and air blower back inside and connect all the computer's plugs up. Check that they are all correctly and firmly inserted, and then switch the computer on again.

10. Open the CD/DVD drawers and using the air blower, blow into the drawers to remove any dust that may have got into there. DVD players don't like dust on their internal lenses.

BENEFITS OF AN INTERNAL CLEANUP:

Computer CPU's (Central Processing Unit, the "brain" of the PC) generate a lot of heat, due to all the processing going on in their integrated circuits. The finned heat sink mounted on the CPU transfers heat from the CPU to the surrounding air by creating a large surface area (that's what all the "fins" are for.) If this surface area is covered with dust, it traps the heat and the CPU overheats, shortening it's life span.

In the same way, if the fan blades and inlet vents are caked with dust, this reduces the amount of air that can be sucked in to the computer and over the CPU heat sink, so the computer will run at a higher temperature than it should, which will shorten the life of the various components in the computer.

CD and DVD players are very fussy about dust. A few specks on the laser lenses can cause a lot of problems when reading and writing data, in some cases the machine will reject the disk as unreadable.

If you live in a warm climate, this should be done fairly often.

A clean computer should give you many years of trouble free service.

Ikariam

Ikariam is a newly released game by the german game company, GameForge. The company specializes in the coding and design of online browser games such as this one. The basis of the game are simple - build up your city and conquer the world. At the moment, other cities are not destroyable as that would mean one will loose everything he/ she has worked for but it has been announced that this will be changed in a future update.

Other games such as Popodopolous and Zeus worked on the same basis and their simplicity is what made them popular. Well, Ikariam has another popularity factor - the fact that you play it online, for free and without having to download anything on your computer. This feature is amazing as that means you can play it anywhere; at school, on the train, airport lounge or at home!

The game's files which contain all your account details and statistics are stored on a central server at the company's headquarters so you don't have to worry about loosing your files.

Ikariam has only been released in February and it is one of the most searched terms on search engines such as Google and Yahoo. However, Ikariam is still in beta phase so there are a lot of bugs and missing information that you can only get from the developers if you ask on the forums - this can be time consuming as there isn't a 24/7 customer support.

So, say you want to build a new colony or simply expand your palace and what to see what benefits you get. There's nowhere to go apart from the forums as the game is recently released and a lack of documentation exists. There are numerous Ikariam videos in existence on YouTube talking about the high number of bugs in the game and how to fix them, but apart from that you have no other information.

In future i will post fast leveling, faq and answers... posto your questions in comments and we will make helpdesk

The Positive Benefits of Gaming

Gaming is one of the hottest pastime of this generation. Over the past years we have observed many of the benefits of gaming. Truly, this wasn't the intent at first. Primarily gaming was produced just for entertainment. However, as technology progressed, so too, did the advances in gaming.

So, lets take a look at some of these benefits that all ages get from gaming.

- Logic
- Strategy
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Socializing
- Communicating
- Competition
- Physical
- Fitness
- Fun

I have only touched on a low portion of the full diversity of benefits that gaming has to offer all who take part in the action. There are dozens more and I'm sure if you sat down and thought about all the aspects of gaming you will come up with multiple benefits yourself.

Many gaming software or online gaming have developed vast communities where all gamers come together and share ideas, secrets, and even trade. We make new friends, find new rivals to play against and do our very best to succeed and in doing so, we ramp up our own confidence and expertise in that particular gaming world.

Even our youngest gamers benefit academically through gaming. They are learning phonics, mathematics, science, technology, languages, critical thinking, problem solving, hand-eye coordination, creativity and so much more.

Our medical facilities have now jumped on board with using gaming software. What are they using gaming for? Let's take a look at some of the gaming benefits for the medical field. They are using gaming for Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation for their patients. Surgeons are using gaming for learning new procedures and practicing precision. Nurses also use gaming for their education. I guess you could say, I feel respectable about this because now I know I am not being used in the medical field as a guinea pig where trial and error is just the common factor. At least we can be assured, new procedures have been tested, tried and succeeded without risking a human or animal life.

Oh, and let us not forget our Military. They too, have climbed aboard in the gaming world. What a great way for our Military to build up their skills in strategy, combat, critical thinking, aiming and precision, tactics and this list can go on forever.

How about sports? Almost every sport you can think of, there is a game for it. Gaming has brought many honorable athletes out in the open. Practice it in the gaming software and then utilize it in the real game. It doesn't matter which sport it is, baseball, football, soccer, bowling, tennis, golf, boxing, and hundreds more.

The bottom line is, to criticize gaming is to breakdown all the benefits that gaming has provided to our culture. Gaming has made us better people, physically, emotionally and mentally. The next time you or your child are playing a game, stop and think about the benefits of the real game play that is going on. So, get gaming, have fun, play, learn. Gaming is molding your body and mind.

Hunting Unlimited 2009 is a hunting game for PC users played in an FPS-style fashion. Just like any hunting game, you will still have moments where animals run in circles, tracking adventures are exciting and times where you get attacked by vicious animals, such as bears.

There will also be substantial times where you may have a tough time finding your targets. As any FPS-styled pc game, you get to have a profile where you get to name a character model out of four (three guys and one gal) and a trophy room (a scrapbook actually) where you can reminisce the killings you have made in previous mission.

If Free Hunt Mode is incapable of satisfying your hunting thirst, there's a Challenge Mode, which provides over a hundred hunting scenarios. There are scenarios where you can snipe animals from a cliff and scenarios where you can ride on a 4x4 truck or a horse, but these things don't steer so easily so it's more comforting to travel by foot. Another game mode is the Target Range, if you are into tournaments and level editing this should you give enough satisfaction. However, the tournament system is a bit tedious. It requires you to download a tourney file and then upload back your score string. The probable reason for this is to allow no real-time online support.

On the other hand, the level editor is worst. The tutorials aren't any good in helping you create your own scenarios, but there's an abundant supply of guides or walkthroughs that you can find online. The graphics is just so-so, but still forgivable.

Overall, with the variety of animals, environments and weapons at your disposal, Hunting Unlimited 2009 can still be entertaining to some extent despite its shortcomings.